A court hearing is underway in the Belgian city of Leuven in connection with a fire which killed two GMIT students in the city in January 2014.
The Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe and the director of the Institute, Malachy Vallely, are both named as defendants in the case.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Friday 31 January, 2014 in a student apartment in the medieval university city.
19 year-old Sara Gibaldo from Oranmore and 22 year-old Dace Zarina from Longford died in a fire at a house in the university town of Leuven
Both of the women were second year students in the Bachelor of Business degree in hotel and catering management at GMIT and were on Erasmus placements at the time of the incident.
The case is being heard by three judges who will listen to oral evidence from the prosecution and the defendants.
Written submissions for the families of the two women have already been lodged with court, as well as submissions from the defendants.
According to the Irish Independent, Belgian prosecutors are seeking a jail term for the director of the Irish College in Leuven in relation to the fire.
Malachy Vallely has been accused of using his apartment as a “cash cow” for 23 years by renting it back to the college.
The court has been told that fire safety in the apartment was “completely lacking”.
The hearing has been adjourned until the 5th of September, when a verdict will be delivered.
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